Thursday, September 01, 2005

What The Hell Is Going On?!?!

How can our leaders be allowing such chaos to reign in New Orleans? Are they truly powerless? CNN reports that sniper fire is now impeding the evacuation of victims from a New Orleans hospital. New Orleans's Mayor Ray Nagin has issued a "desperate SOS." CNN further reports:

"There are multiple people dying at the convention center," Lawrence said. "There was an old woman, dead in a wheelchair with a blanket draped over her, pushed up against a wall. Horrible, horrible conditions.

"We saw a man who went into a seizure, literally dying right in front of us."

In a statement Thursday, Nagin said that "currently the convention center is unsanitary and unsafe and we are running out of supplies for (15,000 to 20,000) people."

People were "being forced to live like animals," Lawrence said, surrounded by piles of trash and feces.

He said thousands of people were just laying in the ground outside the building -- many old, or sick, or caring for infants and small children.

Widespread looting and random gunfire have been reported across New Orleans. Police told CNN that groups of armed men roamed the streets overnight.Officers told CNN they lacked manpower and steady communications to properly do their jobs -- and that they needed help to prevent the widespread looting and violence now prevalent in the city.

A police officer working in downtown New Orleans said police were siphoning gas from abandoned vehicles in an effort to keep their squad cars running, CNN's Chris Lawrence reported.

Congress intends to return to session prior to the Labor Day weekend, a few days earlier than originally planned. I wonder how they'll explain to their constituents how they allowed New Orleans flooding prevention funds to be cut and for all the pleas by Mary Landrieu over the years for levees to be fortified to go unheeded. And I wonder if Democrats will speak up about it and against the president who attempted some truly shameful pre-emptive damage control this morning on Good Morning America: